Middle East

Riyadh, Apr 29: Washington's new chief diplomat was to meet Saudi and Israeli leaders on Sunday to rally coordinated opposition to Tehran and brief them on President Donald Trump's threat to end the Iran nuclear deal. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo touched down in Riyadh on Saturday shortly after Tehran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles across the Kingdom's border. US officials

Dubai, Apr 28: An air strike on Yemen capital Sana’a by a Saudi-led military coalition has killed dozens of Huthi rebels, including at least two commanders, Saudi television reported on Saturday. Saudi Arabia’s official Al-Ekhbariya television said two high-ranking insurgents were among more than 50 Huthi militiamen killed in Sanaa on Friday evening, without giving further details. Saudi-owned Al

Riyadh, Apr 25: Saudi Arabia’s Council of Economic and Development Affairs on Tuesday approved the Privatization Program that is one of 12 key elements of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. The program is aimed at increasing job opportunities for Saudi nationals, attracting the latest technologies and innovations, and supporting economic development. It encourages both local and foreign investment in

Riyadh, Apr 24: Saudi King Salman will launch the construction of an "entertainment city" near Riyadh on Wednesday, authorities said, part of a series of multi-billion dollar projects as the kingdom seeks to diversify its oil-reliant economy. The 334-square kilometre project in Qiddiya, southwest of Riyadh, would rival Walt Disney and include high-end theme parks, motor sport facilities and a

Jeddah, Apr 24: The First International Conference on Humanizing Cities will take place from May 7 to 10 at Taibah University in Madinah. The event is being organized by the Development Authority of Madinah, under the patronage of Prince Faisal bin Salman, governor of Madinah region and chairman of the Development Authority of Madinah. The conference will review global trends in the areas of

Riyadh, April 24: The administrative chief of Houthi-controlled northern Yemen was killed in a Saudi-led coalition air raid last week, Houthi-run television reported on Monday. Saleh Al Samad was the most senior Houthi official to be killed by the coalition since it intervened in Yemen's civil war in 2015 to try and push back the Houthis. The Houthis' Al Masirah TV said Al Samad was killed on

Jeddah, Apr 21: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) distributed humanitarian aid including birth kits, personal bags and baby blankets to Syrian female refugees staying in Osman Hospital and Central Hospital in Kattermaya, Kharoub province of Lebanon on Friday. This distribution is within the framework of the assistance provided by the center for displaced Syrians and

Saudi air defense forces managed to intercept a ballistic missile fired by Houthi militias from Yemen headed in the direction of Saudi Arabia’s border province of Jazan on Friday. Earlier this week, Saudi air defenses shot down a previous ballistic missile attack by the Houthis. Colonel Turki Al-Maliki, the coalition's spokesman, said the missile was monitored by the Saudi Air Force to have been

Riyadh, Apr 19: It was a night to remember: Cinema returned to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday with the first major movie screening in 35 years in a spectacular new theater in King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh. The gala screening of the Hollywood blockbuster Black Panther was attended by hundreds of invited guests in the sleek and chic complex — described by AMC cinema chain bosses as “the most

Riyadh, Apr 18: Saudi Arabia is ready, willing and able to deploy troops in support of any US-led effort to stabilize Syria, Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir reaffirmed on Tuesday. “We are in discussions with the US, and have been since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, about sending forces into Syria,” Al-Jubeir said. The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that US President Donald Trump’s